Flash bulb retention and ejection device



Oct. 27, 1959 w. LESSLER 2,910,554

FLASH BULB RETENTION AND EJECTION DEVICE Filed Dec. 9, 1957 '5 5 R FIG.I

FIG.2

1 l3 19 20 u 25 22 2s ell [6 37 INVENTOR.

LEW w. LESSLEB ATTORNI E Y S United States Patent FLASH BULB RETENTIONAND EJECTION DEVICE Lew W. Lessler, Binghamton, N.Y., assignor toGeneral Aniline & Film Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporafion ofDelaware Application December 9, 1957, Serial No. 701,481

2 Claims. (Cl. 200-51.08)

The present invention relates to flash bulb ejector socket assembliesused in photographic flash lamps and is particularly directed to suchsocket assemblies wherein a flash bulb having a bayonet-type base may bespeedily ejected from the socket after being fired and a new bulbspeedily inserted into the socket.

Flashlight photography has become quite common and photographers whotake action pictures by the use of flashlights are aware of thenecessity and desirability of being able to remove a fired flash bulbfrom its socket and replace it with a new one in the fastest possibletime. These bulbs become very hot when fired and will burn the fingersif an attempt is made to grasp them for removal from the socket. Hence,ejector sockets have been proposed in numerous designs for solving theaforesaid problems.

A primary object of the persent invention is to provide a novel ejectorsocket assembly by which mechanism within the socket will propel thebulb out of the socket upon manipulation of a button readily availableto the operator who may then simply thrust the new bulb into the socketand be ready for a fresh exposure.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel ejectorsocket assembly wherein a bulb of the type having a bayonet base withradially projecting prongs may be mounted in the socket by a singleaxial thrust and gripped and held there until fired and then ejected atthe will of the operator without the operator having to handle the bulb.

A particular feature of the invention is that the ejector socketassembly comprises relatively few parts, is simple to operate, and lendsitself to mass production.

Other objects and features will be apparent from the followingdescription of the invention, pointed out in particularity in theappended claims and taken in connection with the accompanying drawing inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view in section showing the bulb inoperative position;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 with the apparatus in ejectionposition.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the housing indicated by numeral maybe of usual construction and is only partially shown since it forms nopart of the present invention.

The upper part of the housing which forms the lamp socket comprises anopen-ended casing 11 made of any suitable insulating material,preferably molded plastic.

Surrounding the open end of the casing is a collar 12 having oppositelydisposed pins 13 for receiving a reflector shown in dotted line.Positioned within the open end of the casing and suitably anchoredthereto is a cylindrical metal shell 15 which is adapted to receive theconventional bayonet-type base of a flash bulb 16 which has laterallyprojecting pins 17 for locking it into the socket.

The shell 15 has laterally disposed grooves 18 through which the pins 17may pass, coextensive with the grooves 18, a cutout portion 19 is formedin the wallof the shell 15. The latter is for the purpose ofaccommodating hook portions 20 of a U-shaped spring 22 which is held inthe casing by means of an upper supporting member 23 and a downwardlyextending supporting member 24F solidly anchored in the casings 11 and10, respectively.

The U-shaped spring member 22 also has cam formation 25 which rests on awedge piece 26 made of insulating material and disposed in such manneras to be slideable between the legs of the U-shaped spring 22. The wedgepiece 26 has centrally located cutout portions, one in the horizontaldirection so as to accommodate a contact pin 28 and the other in thevertical direction through which a plate 29 may pass.

The plate 29 is solidly anchored in the housings 11 and 10 and also hasa suitable aperture for the pin 28 to pass through. The latter has aflattened head 30 with a depression 31 for seating the center contact 33of the flash bulb 16.

Surrounding the pin 28 is a spring 34 which abuts against the head 30and the plate 29. A second spring 35 surrounds the pin 28 and abutsagainst the other side of the plate 29 and the inner face of the cutoutportion of the wedge piece 26. Release button 37 is cup-shaped and issecured to the wedge piece 26. The downwardly extending supportingmember 24 is so bent as to form a surface for contacting one terminal ofa power source, such as a battery, not shown here; Whereas the lower endof the plate 29, extending downwardly, provides a conductor from thepower source to the center contact 33 of the flash bulb 16.

A cross member 38 in contact with the plate 29 is shaped into a flexiblesupport 39 accommodating the base of a test lamp 41. The support 39 hasa linger piece 42 extending from the casing 10. The downwardly extending support member 24 has a tab 43 so positioned that, upon pressing thefinger piece 42 inwardly, it will engage the center contact 44 of thetest lamp 41.

The operation of the socket and ejector mechanism may readily be seenfrom the illustration. The flash bulb 16 may be inserted into the shell15, the pins 17 riding past the hook portion 20 which closes behindthem. retaining the flash bulb 16 in the socket. When ejection isdesired, the release button 37 is pressed, causing the wedge piece 26 tomove forward and engage the cam formation 25, thereby separating the legportions of the U-shaped spring 22 and disengaging the hook portions 20from the pins 17. The spring 34 which was depressed by the insertion ofthe lamp 16 will now eject the latter as it abuts against the plate 29and the head 30 of the pin 28.

The forward motion of the wedge piece 26 compresses the spring 35 whichabuts against the plate 29 so that, upon removing the pressure from thebutton 37, the Wedge piece is retracted by the spring 35 into itsoriginal position allowing the legs of the U-shaperl member 22 to closefor the acceptance of the flash bulb to be inserted into the socket.

Whenever it is desired to test the condition of the power source, suchas the battery, the finger piece 42 is pressed, closing the circuit forthe test lamp 41.

I claim:

1. A flash lamp ejector socket for receiving a lamp bulb havingprojecting locking pins, comprising a casing, a cylindrical shellsupported in said casing and having oppositely disposed longitudinallyextending grooves for guiding said pins into said socket, locking meansincluding a generally U-shaped spring having a pair of leg members, eachplaced alongside one of said grooves and bent into cam formation, a hookportion formed at the end of each leg and adapted to engage said pinsthereby locking said bulb in said socket, said U-shaped spring PatentedOct. 27, 1959- having an upwardly and downwardly extending supportingmember anchored in said casing, a release mechanism including aninsulated wedge piece placed within said u-shaped spring, :saidipiecehaving a cutout portion, a sliding button attached-to saidpiece-'and'extending from said casing, "a contact pin 'slideablysupported in said piece, a'pair of springssurrounding said ,pin, a platevertically extending through said' cutout having an aperture throughwhich said pin may-slide, said plate'formingan abutment for each of saidsprings whereby, upon inward sliding of said button, said wedgepieceengages said cam formation causing spreading of said leg members anddisengagement of said hookvportions, one vof said springsabutting'against said plate forcingsaidpin for ejection of said bulb andthe other of said-springs abutting against said plate providingretraction of said wedge piece upon release of said button. 2. Anejector socket in accordance with claim 1 wherein said supporting memberforms a contact for one terminal of an electric power source and saidplate forming a conductor for the other :terminal thereof.

References 'Cited in the file "oflthis patent UNITED STATESPATENTS2,329,011 Steiner Sept. 7, 1943 2,343,552 Hollister et' a1. *Mar. 7,19442,496,680 Schwartz Feb. '7,1950 2,565 -492 French Aug. 28, .195 12,596,887 Brundage' May 13, 1952 u. n go

